I love to read the NY Times on Sunday mornings over a cup of coffee with my favorite person in the world, my husband Larry. This past Sunday we were sitting in a quite breakfast spot, big windows thrown wide open, in downtown San Diego, where we live, having brought our NY Times along. I opened to my favorite business column, the Corner Office with Adam Bryant, to a significant article on Nell Minow. I remarked to Larry because he knows Nell. Larry characterized Nell as “One of the luminaries of corporate governance today. She has been called by Fortune magazine the ‘Queen of Corporate Governance’ and by Forbes the CEO killer’ because she brings to everyone’s attention the best and the worst of corporate governance today.” Larry is a well-known expert on corporate governance himself, which is how he knows Nell. I will share about Larry another time.
In that moment I was interested to learn what Nell, co-funder of the Corporate Library, a provider of corporate governance research, would say about leading people, which is always the topic of Adam’s column. If you are interested, you can read the entire section yourself.
What I liked was her “we” orientation, and her accountability orientation. She parallels parenting with managing people. She doesn’t like meetings, and she is very clear about the agenda and desired outcomes going into meetings. Yea!
How she got into corporate governance, however, was fascinating to me. It was sheer serendipity that she met Bob Monks and they have been business partners for 23 years. Together they have accomplished amazing things. I will steal an idea from her – well, maybe two ideas. When she hires, she looks for humor in someone and she won’t hire anybody who can’t write. She asks applicants for a writing sample that can sway her hiring decision either way. Actually, now I’m a little nervous – what if she reads this blog? I’m just starting to blog – perhaps she has a few tips for me! Nell? Are you reading? I welcome any comments from Nell or from you about blogging, about being great leaders, and reminding ourselves to keep our sense of humor!
Nice job–thanks for calling me to share your success. Mer